Surplus sugar helps whiteflies detoxify plant defenses – Phys.org

When attacking crucifers, the sap-sucking whitefly Bemisia tabaci can activate the chemical defenses of these plants. In a new study, an international team of researchers demonstrated that the pest is able to render a large proportion of the plant toxins harmless by binding surplus sugar to them. The whitefly thus deploys a completely new and until now undescribed detoxification mechanism to defuse the plants’ defenses, which could explain the success of this major agricultural pest. The study i…

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